A sign that U.S.-Cuba travel restrictions may be easing

A sign that U.S.-Cuba travel restrictions may be easing
BY JOSHUA KEATING
12/03/2014 11:30 AM 12/03/2014 11:30 AM

Baseball's next great Cuban prospect, Yoan Moncada, is currently cooling
his heels in Guatemala waiting to be cleared by the U.S. government's
Office of Foreign Assets Control. Once he does get that clearance,
Moncada can start receiving offers from major-league teams, which are
expected to range between $30 and $40 million.

What the 19-year-old switch-hitter can do behind the plate or at third
base is less intriguing than how he got out of Cuba. Dozens of the
nation's baseball stars, from Orlando Hernandez to Yasiel Puig have made
their way to America, often via harrowing escapes involving dangerous
boat rides and predatory human traffickers. Even when the escape is less
dramatic — pitcher Aroldis Chapman, now of the Cincinnati Reds, simply
walked out of his hotel room in the Netherlands where the Cuban national
team was participating in the World Baseball Classic — defection usually
means a player is permanently exiled from homeland and family.

Moncada, by contrast, seems to have just shown up. Yahoo's Jeff Passan
reports that "he did so on what his handlers say is a legal Cuban
passport, meaning the government OK'd his departure, something never
before done for a high-level ballplayer." Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs adds:

I was told by Moncada's agent last week that he was allowed by the Cuban
government to leave the country, that Moncada has a Cuban passport and
can fly back to the country whenever he wants to. I haven't been able to
formally confirm this, but there's no reason for the agent to lie about
it, and multiple high-ranking club executives told me this is how they
understand the situation at this point as well.

If true, this represents a recent change in policy. As recently as last
June, Yasmany Tomas escaped to Haiti under circumstances that, according
to MLB.com, "remain mysterious." Tomas has since signed with the Arizona
Diamondbacks.

So, what's going on here? In 2012, as part of a package of liberalizing
reforms, Raul Castro's government eased travel restrictions for the
country's citizens. Previously, to travel abroad Cubans had needed an
exit visa from the government and an invitation from someone in the
destination country. Under the new system, only a passport is required.

In September 2013, Cuba also dropped its longstanding policy prohibiting
baseball players from signing with professional teams. The era of
legally sanctioned Cuban pro ballplayers has already begun in other
countries. In April, outfielder Frederich Cepeda signed with the Yoimuri
Giants of Japan, becoming the first player to take advantage of the new
rules. He will get to keep 80 percent of his $1.5 million earnings.
That's not quite Yankees money, but it's a lot more than the $100 to
$450 a month he would earn in Cuba, and he'll get to come back home to
see his family at the end of the season.

The U.S. embargo still makes the journey to the big show difficult for
Cubans, and even if the Castro regime has turned a blind eye to
Moncada's actions so far, it's unlikely that he'll still be welcome back
home after he signs to an American team. But with Cuba gradually
loosening its restrictions and support for the embargo dropping in the
U.S., it's probably only a matter of time before the gates open entirely.

JOSHUA KEATING IS A STAFF WRITER AT SLATE FOCUSING ON INTERNATIONAL
NEWS, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND RELATED TOPICS. HE WAS PREVIOUSLY AN EDITOR AT
FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE.

Source: A sign that U.S.-Cuba travel restrictions may be easing | The
Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/from-our-inbox/article4257215.html